Negative positive battery posts unequal size?

[Fantasie 19]

The positive post on my battery is bigger than the negative - never noticed this on previous batteries, is that usual??

Of course it means the quick release clamp doesn't fit the positive, but works perfectly on the negative...

 

[VicS]

The positive post on my battery is bigger than the negative - never noticed this on previous batteries, is that usual??

Of course it means the quick release clamp doesn't fit the positive, but works perfectly on the negative...

Yes it is normal. but why would you want to connect the negative lead to the positive terminal?

The quick release terminals usually come in pairs even the clamp type are different for + and -

 

[sailorman]

with posts its normal & i assume to avoid reversing the connection

 

[sailorman]

I was awarded points for less

 

[Russ the Diver]

with posts its normal & i assume to avoid reversing the connection

+1

 

[RichardS]

Apart from getting you put on Shore Leave if anyone chooses to report your post, I can't see what your words achieve other than to demonstrate that you are much too low in intelligence to ever post on this forum again.

Please find another one pronto!

All the best

Richard

 

[VicS]

Apart from getting you put on Shore Leave .................................................
Richard

Quoting the post could find you in the same position ........ it has happened!

 

[Fantasie 19]

Cheers guys... if you don't ask how do you learn?? Stupid mistake in first post, meant negative rather than positive... VicS/RichardS, you're gents..

third engines I thank you from the heart of my bottom for you erudite, helpful, and well thought advice..

 

[Dipper]

Cheers guys... if you don't ask how do you learn?? Stupid mistake in first post, meant negative rather than positive... VicS/RichardS, you're gents..

third engines I thank you from the heart of my bottom for you erudite, helpful, and well thought advice..

I'm also stupid as I only realised this recently when I bought new battery cables. Previously I just attached black to negative and red to positive and never gave it another thought.

 

[Fantasie 19]

I'm also stupid as I only realised this recently when I bought new battery cables. Previously I just attached black to negative and red to positive and never gave it another thought.

Makes perfect/eminent sense when you think about it.. i'd just never noticed before.. you live and learn...

 

[Pagetslady]

What do you do when connecting in series ?

 

[ksutton]

The size of the neg and pos battery post has only a little to do with its location on your boat or car. It does serve more importance when the battery is removed and you need to then identify pos from neg. Colours or +/- identifications can easily disappear, but visual terminal size is there for the life of the battery, vital to know if you think about it.

 

[PabloPicasso]

The size of the neg and pos battery post has only a little to do with its location on your boat or car. It does serve more importance when the battery is removed and you need to then identify pos from neg. Colours or +/- identifications can easily disappear, but visual terminal size is there for the life of the battery, vital to know if you think about it.

It's electrickery and it just gets cleverer and cleverer. Now some suggest it's all based on logic, and I suppose it is if you're an electronics wizard, just take a peep at how your Alternator is wired....

 

[ksutton]

It's electrickery and it just gets cleverer and cleverer. Now some suggest it's all based on logic, and I suppose it is if you're an electronics wizard, just take a peep at how your Alternator is wired....

50 and 60 years ago before alternators, it was fairly normal when a car went in for service to ask for the battery to be re charged.
In all workshops there was a battery charge workshop with many batteries on the floor and in racks being charged. Before clamping on the charge leads it was comforting to know pos from neg. Maybe we could say that battery terminal size was a very early implementation of elf and safety.

 

[VicS]

What do you do when connecting in series ?

The connecting lead between them has a clamp for a positive terminal at one end and for a negative terminal at the other

 

[nigelmercier]

What do you do when connecting in series ?

The connecting lead between them has a clamp for a positive terminal at one end and for a negative terminal at the other

Indeed, although connecting in series (rather than parallel) is unusual, unless you want 24V.

You may also find that the studs for attaching wires are also different sizes, even on a set packaged as a pair!

 

[KellysEye]

>What do you do when connecting in series ?

We had 6 volt Trojans in series use red and black cables in parallel. Strangely I also had never realised the difference in size between red and black, they look so similar.

 

[VicS]

Do people also realise that batteries can be either right handed or left handed.

Most are RH but one of my cars has a LH battery

RH

............ LH

 

[nigelmercier]

Do people also realise that batteries can be either right handed or left handed...

Yes, and some have the terminals at the top

I didn't know that they had defined handedness though, or perhaps that is just one manufacturer.

 

[VicS]

Yes, and some have the terminals at the top

I didn't know that they had defined handedness though, or perhaps that is just one manufacturer.

I have not come across any with the terminals anywhere but on the top but If you look at a battery suppliers website you will see they usually indicate the handedness. Its important with cars because the leads probably are not long enough for anything other than the correct battery.

The diagrams I posted are from Tayna's website.

Hold down methods are also important ... they vary..... in fact i had to take one battery back because, although supplied for the car, did not have the right feet for the clamp. Luckily bought from a local motor spares supplier not from an online supplier.